


Memories

by Londons_Mystery



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Anger, Angst, Bittersweet, Character Death, Developing Relationship, Drinking, Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Family, Fear, Fluff, Humor, Loss, Love/Hate, Melancholy, One Shot Collection, Pain, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Regret, Romance, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:55:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25818445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Londons_Mystery/pseuds/Londons_Mystery
Summary: Kassandra felt nothing, the memory had already lodged a home in the back of her mind, and it was here to stay. Too many times she fell down her self-made rabbit hole of regret, shame and guilt. This time would be no different. Too many times had the once mighty Eagle Bearer been reduced to tears, the broken organ that was her heart would  beat to the rhythm of pain, crying out a silent call in agony as the weight of her pain crashed into her from every angle. Too many times she found herself left to fight her demons alone, but on the edge of it all once again, she knew there would be more nights like this.
Relationships: Kassandra (Assassin's Creed)/Original Character(s), Kassandra/Kyra (Assassin's Creed), Kassandra/Natakas (Assassin's Creed)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6





	Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for deciding to read my story! I enjoy writing Kassandra, especially an angsty one. I will be taking suggestions for chapter ideas, so comment which ones you want me to write. This story does not have to follow canon to a T, I will deviate slightly at times.

2014

Kassandra gazed solemnly down at a half finished sandwich that lie neatly on the picnic table, the light and warm May breeze ruffling the sides of the paper she had placed it on. Car horns sounded in the distance, the sharp sounds of rush hour traffic penetrating even this far into Central Park. Letting out a long breath, The Keeper placed an elbow on the bench and rested her head in the cup of her palm, gazing out at the shiny skyscrapers soaring above the lush trees.

The world was a beautiful place, that was for sure, Everywhere Kassandra went she could find beauty, even in the midst of war, a flower could be seen poking through the dirt. New York was no different, beauty was everywhere, but that was not why she came back to the United States.

Kassandra's fake identity was getting old, 50 to be exact, Kassandra Mahout would simply not stand if she were every pulled over or questioned when trying to travel. To avoid unwanted attention that always seemed to follow her around, she decided to change her identity again. After her new papers were in order, and with a little heist in the Coroners Office, Mahout was declared dead the new Kassandra Athanasios was ready to go, and go is what she did. A Green Card was easy to obtain, and finding a home would be easy, the hardest part would be choosing a location.

New York seemed like the perfect spot, at least for right now, and living of savings would be easy considering how vast her fortune was. Working was never off the table, but when Kassandra checked there were no positions available in any nearby history museums that interested her, that wasn't an issue however, she could wait.

The sandwich stared back at Kassandra, who was lost in thought, until a soft coo of a pigeon caught her attention. The small city bird has waddles its way over to the bench, lured by the aromas of bread that sat half eaten on the table. Kassandra's head slowly rose in search of the bird that was certainly nearby, and she quickly spotted it.

"Hey there." The pigeon kept on marching ignoring the greeting, a small smirk appeared on Kassandra's face. "A quest for food, it seems?" She cast a glance at her sub. "You want some?" She knew there was no hope in getting a response, but she always felt comfortable taking to animals since... Ikaros. Kassandra's smile slowly faded while a pang of remorse cut through he just like a flaming sword. No matter how much time had passed or will pass, she would always find a sting or sorrow whenever she thought of her late friend. Sighing, Kassandra wasn't hungry anymore. "Here, take it." Her voice cracked, an external sign of the lump welling up in her throat. Reaching out for her dinner, Kassandra took a chuck of the bread and tossed it to the mindless bird who was still roaming the ground for scraps.

Malaka... Kassandra cursed, always finding new ways to remind herself of what she had left behind centuries ago. She took her eyes off the buildings for a moment to cast glances at her ring, golden with a yellow glowing gem in the center. The Staff of Hermes Trismegistus, disguised as nothing more than a simple ring. Brilliant, but a keen eye would question why Kassandra's ring would glow. Swallowing her sadness for a brief moment, Kassandra fiddle her ring in thought. She had plans to visit a local tavern that night, which was always the best way of finding out what was happening in any given area, but her mood was soured, so skipping the bar might be a wise idea.

I still haven't fully moved in my stuff yet, I could grab a few drinks... stock my shelf, maybe even grab some snacks for later. Kassandra thought as the golden rays of a setting sun reflected off the glass towers that loomed in the distance, morphing her eyes from a boring brown to a sea of honey. With her mind made up Kassandra stood up from her bench, neatly wrapping up her unfinished dinner. The pigeon she had so kindly given food now flew away at her movements, and Kassandra followed suit by strolling down the path she had taken to get there.

It wouldn't be a long walk, but judging by the way the sun was sinking below the buildings, she would not be home before dark. In May the days were warm, but the nights still carried a bit of chill to them and Kassandra had left her shawl at home. Walking with a steady pace, Kassandra reached down into her back pocket, internally angered at the lack of front pockets, and grabbed her recently acquired Iphone. With a flick of a finger the phone opened, the screen display cast a soft light on her face as she walked in the evening shadow of a building. With her eyes gliding the screen, Kassandra located the nearest liquor store, its title of 'Central Perk' made her chuckle to herself before clicking off the screen and returning the phone to its home in her back pocket.

The shop was very close, in fact it was mere steps away from her own apartment. Kassandra smiled at the convince of it all, just one more reason to enjoy the big city life. Her walk to the store was of little fun, only once pretending to jump a vast gorge when she encountered a small crack in the pavement. For being alone for a considerable amount of her two thousand year existence, Kassandra learned to entertain herself, even if some of it seemed childish.

The lights of the city lit up around Kassandra, the sky fading to deeper sets of blue with each minute that passed. Soon the green of Central Park was replaced with the stone and glass of buildings while the chirps of birds gave way to the sounds of cars as they hummed along to their destination. Taxi would have been a more convenient mode of transportation, but Kassandra never got tired of just walking, reminded her of a time before cars.

The Keeper took a sharp left crossing West 59th Street, following the path Google Maps had laid her. The shop's sign could be seen now, and a cool breeze rushed up to dance along Kassandra's neck, the sharp chill prompting her to pick up the pace. Bright lights from cast onto the late evening sidewalk through the glass door to the shop, illuminating a stray piece of crumpled paper softly drifting away.

Kassandra opened the door with a soft swoosh, pausing for a moment to observe the liquor store while the door quietly closed behind her. Rows of shelves lined with bottles seemed to fill the entire space, only small spaces for walking in between them. The cool temperature of the store sent small goose bumps up her arms, as the sweet yet musty smell of wood hit her nose like a calming wave lapping at her feet.

Exhaling a breathe, Kassandra slowly ventured into the halls of alcohol, her eyes scanning the bottles looking for a particular product. The lights in the shop were extremely bright, enough to make you squint if you looked directly at them, they even hummed with energy. This sound, or rather lack of sound, made Kassandra pause her search. No one was with her in the shop, no radio was playing, and no back ground chatter. How odd... she mused to herself, focusing again on the labels of the bottles as she rounded another corner of store.

Finally after what felt like an eternity of awkward silence and zig-zagging through rows of shelving, Kassandra found the Ouzo section of the store, it was hidden all the way on the back wall. Reaching up, The Keeper grabbed her favorite brand, tucking it tightly beneath her arm. Next her search was for Vodka, even though she already saw that section a few isles back.

Suddenly, movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention, followed by the heavy sound of boots. Casting a stray glance to her right, Kassandra noticed what seemed to be the figure of a man and the cash register. Paying no mind, Kassandra turned back to the shelf to her right, a bottle of Naoussa Xinomarvo drawing her focus. Nothing like the taste of Greek grapes to soothe the aching-

"The fuck you looking at?" A loud, harsh, gruff and very New York voice slashed through Kassandra's mind, slightly shocked by the word choice of who she assumed was an employee. Turning slowly Kassandra dropped her eyes from the wine to rake up and down the man, dressed in all black, who stood a mere two meters away from her. When she didn't answer right away, the man called out to her again, this time his voice was raised. "I said, what the fuck are you looking at?"

Kassandra faced displayed little emotion, despite being taken a back, she was downright at the whole situation. With a nonchalant shrug Kassandra returned her gaze back to the wines, motioning her hand to point to the shelve, exposing her ring.

"Oh, sorry." She cleared her throat a bit, still keeping her gaze firmly locked onto the bottles. "I'm just looking through your selection." Before she even finished her sentence, Kassandra could feel a shift in the air and the sound of footsteps. Quickly she snapped her head to face the man approaching, she found him a few steps closer, the stranger stopping abruptly when her gazed landed upon him. Now suspicious, she had her own questions. "What are you..." Kassandra's voiced trailed off. Behind the man was a bloody body of a woman lying motionless against the wall behind the register.

The criminal tracked The Keeper's gaze, flashing a crooked smile when he realized what she had seen. Kassandra stiffened, clenching her fist in anger at the senseless violence, nearly vomiting at the smile the man showed her. Malaka, what did I walk into... no wonder the place was empty. Grinding her teeth, Kassandra forced herself to focus on the man, and not her own lack of awareness.

"Do you wanna be next?" He kept his wicked smile, slowly taking a step forwards. Squeezing her fist tighter, Kassandra bit back the urge to rip his throat out right then and there, but this was not Ancient Greece, she couldn't take the law into her own hands anymore.

"No," Kassandra shifted her stance slightly. "Do you?" Her voice never wavered, and it was a fair warning, but the criminal laughed in the face of her threat. He did not of her capabilities as a fighter, all he say was a unarmed woman with a shiny gold ring.

"You quite the comedian, but..." The man drew ever closer, reaching for his waist as if to hold something in his dark hoodie. Kassandra straightened her back in response, making her nearly the same height as her enemy now a foot away. "... I'm not in no mood for jokes, hand it over bitch." A wave of anger rolled over Kassandra, and the fire of rage ignited in her chest. Did he just call me- In a quick motion, the man pulled out a hand gun from under his hoodie, raising it to point straight at Kassandra's forehead. Without flinching or blinking, she stared right into the mans eyes, icy determination settled into her brown eyes,

"No." Whatever the man had hoped to achieve by pulling a gun on her, certainly would fail. Kassandra had her fair share of bullet wounds in her day; they hurt, by the Gods they hurt, even with the staff her wounds would bleed. Feeling the same as they would for any mortal, excruciating pain. But immortality has slowly drained away her fear in the face of danger. In an instant, her keen eye noticed the mans grip tighten around the gun at her words, letting the edge of her lips curl into a smirk knowing she had struck a nerve with this criminal. However Kassandra misjudged the temper of this man. With his face contorted in rage, he quickly jabbed the barrel of his hand gun at her, striking her just above the bridge of her nose, causing Kassandra to lean her head back in a natural reaction, but was otherwise unfazed.

"Give it to me." With the cool metal of the barrel pressing between her eyes, the man had a renewed vigor in his voice, but unknowingly his confidence was misplaced. Kassandra stared into his eyes, her amber brown gaze lasered into his own, displaying nothing but cool resolve. In a split second Kassandra could disarm her assailant and turn his weapon against him, but where would the fun in that be? Suddenly a burning anger flickered to life deep inside Kassandra's core. Flicking her now burning gaze up and down, she gritted her teeth to suppress the rage starting to bubble over inside. If a fight was gong to happen, let it happen.

"Fuck you." Kassandra's words hissed off her tongue, the venom contained in her Greek accent shocking even her. In the silence that followed, the world seem to grow silent. The only sound that could be heard was the squeeze of the man tighten his grip around the gun, an ominous sound like a snake coiled around its prey, Kassandra knew what would come next.

Malak-

A click of the trigger followed by the concussive blast of the gun was the last thing Kassandra heard before her world came crashing down in a tidal wave of black.

A low buzz drifted into Kassandra's mind, the murky darkness dissolving as she regained consciousness. The blinding lights pierced her vision as she slowly cracked open her eyelids, sending a dull ache of pain that reverberated through her skull. Feeling was returning to her extremities, and she felt the cool tiles of the floor pressed against her body. Twitching a finger, she slowly gained control of her limbs once again.

Groggily, Kassandra lifted her head slightly up, trying to remember what had happened and where she was. Her glazed eyes caught sight of bottles, and her memory came flooding back. Great, fucking great. She yelled internally, propping herself up form where she lay. I can't go anywhere without shit always happening, not even to buy a- The dull ache in her head cut off her own thoughts as it had now grown to a thunderous roar.

"Argh..." Kassandra let out a low growl at the pain, rubbing her temples gently in an attempt to subdue the throbbing. "This is what you get Kassandra," Her voice was a whisper. "For letting your guard down." Sitting up straighter, she pulled her knees in towards her head, gently resting it against them while she wrapped her arms around her legs.

Her normally active mind had ceased to function, her only focus was to dull ache in her head. Of all the places to get shot, Kassandra has always hated the head. The pain that followed was an abused concoction of a migraine and a concussion. She was lucky, most of the time, to avoid being hit there. But this may have been the first time she was ever shot directly in the face. Oh, the irony, a gun pointed right between her eyes and the famed Eagle Bearer still couldn't see this coming.

Kassandra lifted her head up off her knees, perhaps too early, the lights above caused her current pain to amplify and her eyes to throb, closing them her mind drifted to Ancient Greece. Once on one of her many visits to Anais's homestead in Arkadia, Kassandra had grown weary on Phobos. She didn't remember much from the fall, but she remembered the pain in her head afterwards. Similar to this, all she could do was sleep. Even Barbanas was worried, which she'd never admit, scared her. Luckily she made a full recovery. I always recover... She thought numbly a searing pang of sadness cut through her chest like a flaming sword. Perhaps before The Staff, her Isu blood helped her heal, but it never made her feel any less guilty. So many people she knew would get injured, in manners similar to her own, but unlike her they'd never recover. Kassandra was both blessed with The Staff as well as cursed by it.

Blocking out her thoughts Kassandra rose to her feet, feeling slightly woozy at first. Gritting her teeth she regained her balance fast and brushed her clothes off, her headache still pounding within her skull. Looking around for a moment, she noticed the bottles she once held had rolled to different corners of the store during her unexpected slumber. Shrugging, Kassandra lazily walked over to the counter, her neck feeling abnormally stiff. The woman who worked here still lay slumped and bloody against the wall, but as The Keeper drew nearer it was clear she was still breathing. A small rush of relief washed over Kassandra before she rounded the corner to exit, knowing well enough the police would arrive and the lady would be okay. Moments later she pushed her way through the door and exited back on to the street, the tension in her eyes faded as the dark of night replaced the bright light from the store. Kassandra's feet almost instinctively turned left, knowing exactly where her next destination was.

The location Kassandra chose was a dimly lit turn-century style bar, with jazz music humming lightly in the back ground as the Keeper entered. Her pupils dilated, adjusting to the new lighting. Inside, it was fairly empty, with a few individuals watching a baseball game at the bar and a few other groups making conversation at the booths. To her delight, their conversations were quite, keeping her pounding headache at bay.

Gingerly, she made her way to the most secluded corner of the bar, keeping her head down, avoiding the gaze of any unwanted attention. Once she found her seat, intentionally staying as far away from others as possible, Kassandra lifted a hand and gestured for the bar tender to come take her order. The man quickly nodded in repose, briefly pausing his wiping of a glass.

The Keeper paid no mind to the game playing overhead, her glazed eyes focusing right at the table she sat at. Over the years she had visited many bars, her mine was nowhere yet everywhere at the same time. This was routine for her it seemed, drinking never solved her existential problems, but it sure took the pain away.

"Your order, Miss?" The bartenders words reverberated through Kassandra's head, flinching in result even though he was speaking to her in a normal tone. Her brain throbbed within her skull, and she needed something strong to drown out this pain.

"Balkan, on the rocks." Kassandra's strong voice betrayed her as the man nodded and turned to his stock. She allowed a common thug to mug her, injury an innocent an rob a store. Was she loosing her touch? Staring once again with empty eyes at the table, she mulled over the recent events. Travelling back to the United States still was promising, she was just assaulted, but was that her fault? No, it wasn't. The world had law enforcement, and she did vow never to be the hero after... that incident.

No, don't remember. Kassandra looked down at her feet, forcing any last fleeting memory away in one fell swoop, her lower lip was already trembling with sadness. How could she forget? He meant everything to her, why would she want to forget him? They all meant so much... Kassandra had taken many lovers in the two thousand years of her existence, but only a handful ever left a permanent scar on her memory. Just like the scars that littered her body she wore the with pride, just as Alethia had said, "you will learn to love again." And learn again she had, many times, but not all as pure as the first, or as passionate as the last. Kassandra's mind now raced with a million thoughts a minute: what was she, really? Was it right, what she has done? All the fighting, all the sin, was it worth it? Would she ever be graced to enter Elysium, or would she be condemned to her own demons? She remembered everything, yet nothing at the same time.

"Here you go." The tender interrupted her thoughts with a glass of the clear liquid, handing to her with a firm gaze. Kassandra tried to hide her pain, but the tender saw her tired look. A look that had concealed centuries of loss, pain and most importantly memories. With a curt nod and a smile, the Keeper took the glass in one hand as the tender walked back to his other costumers.

Picking up the glass, Kassandra downed it in one gulp, closing her eyes as the fiery liquid burned down her throat and pooled in her stomach. The sweet release of that alone relaxed her muscles, but she would need more to feel better. Kassandra has used the bottle many time over as a coping mechanism for her pain, and it often worked. How many nights she'd spent getting drunk after saving the balance without recognition, or the painful realization of her existence. Staring off into the wood work behind the bar, Kassandra shook herself off, before a strange familiar smell of whisky brought back a jabbing memory, and she found herself back where she'd never want to be again.

_"You're certain this is the spot?" A man called from Kassandra's side, his hand locked in hers._

_"Yes." She replied, casting a glance to make sure her blindfolded counterpart was steady on his feet._

_"Kassandra, really, this better not be a rouse." He called again, tightening his grip around her hand in fright of what could be waiting for him._

_"Just trust me, alright?" Kassandra replied, a friendly chirp in her choice as they rounded the final turn on the path._

_"I didn't hike all the way up here just to be blindfolded and tossed of a cliff." The man muttered, looking down at his feet, still being tugged to follow by Kassandra._

_"You wound me, Andreas." She replied, rolling her eyes in the process. "Now," Kassandra reached a hand up and lightly poked at his blindfold. "Take it off."_

_"Fine-" He spoke in a gruff tone, his pupils contracted as light from the moon it his eye. Kassandra felt her chest tighten, worried he might not enjoy the view the way she did. Her lover didn't move, just gazed at the country side for a moment. "This..." Kassandra felt her smile grow. "Kass..." Andreas turned to face her, his expression showed nothing but delight._

_"The best view in Arkadia, just like I said." Her smile was enormous, almost painful as Andreas turned back to the beauty that was nature. Giddy like a child, Kassandra bounced up next to him, wrapping her arm around his waist to rest her head on his shoulder._

_"How do you even know about a place like this?" He asked, refusing to take his eyes away from the wonder that was Greece, bathed in silver moonlight. Kassandra let out a sigh, a shallow ache filled her chest._

_"Tychi, I guess" Kassandra wasn't lying, she had stumbled upon this site by chance. The true reason she needed a vantage point such as this one, well she was simply doing her part in the Greek War of Independence._

_"I'm glad I brought the good stuff then" Andreas smiled through his reply, reaching into his satchel slung over his shoulder. Kassandra smiled as well, gazing off into the distance. Every so often she would find someone who made her happy, and Andreas certainly made her happy. But something tugged deep within her, the burden she carried, she would eventually have to tell him. "Here you go." Andreas motioned a half filled tin cup towards Kassandra._

"Another Miss?" The bartender's voice sliced through Kassandra's memory like a hot knife, the man had moved his way back to where she sat having noticed her empty glass.

Kassandra felt nothing, the memory had already lodged a home in the back of her mind, and it was here to stay. Too many times she fell down her self-made rabbit hole of regret, shame and guilt. This time would be no different. Too many times had the once mighty Eagle Bearer been reduced to tears, the broken organ that was her heart would beat to the rhythm of pain, crying out a silent call in agony as the weight of her pain crashed into her from every angle. Too many times she found herself left to fight her demons alone, but on the edge of it all once again, she knew there would be more nights like this.

Kassandra would remember, she would force herself to remember. Forgetting, not matter how much the memory hurt, would be worse than anything she could imagine. As the Bartender turned to refile her glass, Kassandra made a personal vow to herself.

For every drink she would order, she would remember, no matter how deep the memory cut or how insignificant, she would remember.

It was going to be a long night.

**Author's Note:**

> So that's wrap for chapter one. If you enjoyed it, and want to be apart of this stories future, comment a memory you would like to see me write! I have a main story planned out, but any and all suggestions will be added into the mix to spice things up. I would love to hear your feedback in the comments, it would make my day! Plus, they give me extra motivation to write. Thank you for making it this far, Charie until next time.  
> Tychi - Greek - Luck, Chance, Lucky


End file.
